by Ali Winters
“Thank you both for coming on such short notice.” Holter paced back and forth across the room. “Azira already knows, but Colin,” he stopped to look at the ginger man. “Silas and Yeva are gone.”
Colin jerked his body forward coughing violently. When he managed to catch his breath, he leaned forward and spoke slowly, “What do you mean gone?”
“They are dead,” he said solemnly. “That’s impossible. Yeva can’t die...” “Unfortunately, it is true.” He extended a hand toward
Caspian allowed him to explain everything. The stones, the chalice, and Silas’s plan, and what they would need for a chance at success; two additional hunters who would contribute their power to make up for the lack of power the Hunter lacks, at great risk to them. When he finished, the room was so quiet, Nivian doubted if the mechanic was even still breathing.
Azira’s face drained of all color and Finn remained motionless against the wall, pure anger all over his face.
“Why haven’t you told anyone?” Colin snapped. He stood abruptly causing his chair to clatter over onto the floor. “You should have told us!”
“And what would it have accomplished, other than panic? If we can’t complete the transfer of powers for both Yeva and Silas, then there is nothing anyone will be able to do. It’s not a decision I made lightly.”
Azira stood, leaning on the table and said in a wavering voice, “I’m in.”
“You can think on it if you want, there is no need to rush. We have no idea what kind of power it will take for you to help perform the ceremony.” Holter said, but he had a knowing glint to his eye. Pride, if Nivian wasn’t mistaken.
“I’ve already made up my mind. Our mission is simple: maintain the balance at all costs. I will give every ounce of power, including my life force if need be.”
“Good.” Holter turned back to Colin, eyebrows raised. “And you?”
Colin’s chest moved up and down as if he’d just finished a run. The sneer still on his face. He wasn’t happy but he nodded and said, “Of course.”
“Then it’s settled. In three days time we will meet back here.” Caspian strode over to Nivian and placed a hand on her
shoulder. “We should be going now.” Azira shifted and looked as if she wanted to say something
but didn’t. Her arm brushed against Caspian’s, but she made no move to create distance between them.
Caspian spoke again to Holter, and she also couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t make a move to step away either.
“I will return tomorrow and take them to a neutral spot to test them out, from there we will proceed with the strongest one.”
Nivian stepped to the side and her eyes fell to Azira’s and Caspian’s hands, the backs of which were pressed together. Her eyes cut to the others in the room. Either they were wrapped up in smaller conversations or at the wrong angle to see. It was unlike him to allow someone so close and Nivian hated the slight pang that twisted in her gut. Did either of them even notice?
Colin and Finn were the first to leave. They spoke in hushed tones, neither looking back as the door closed behind them.
Azira remained unmoving almost as if she were attached to Caspian and afraid to move.
Evander hesitated for a brief moment, his gaze flicking between Azira and Caspian, before taking his leave. Nivian walked over to the door, her hand rested on the door handle when Holter called her name.
“Nivian? I would like a word with you if you can spare a few moments before you go.”
She stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder to Caspian who reluctantly moved away from her friend. Nivian doubted he would mind spending a few moments longer with Azira.
“Sure,” she said.
It seemed so long ago that she didn’t trust the man before her. But now? Looking at him, there was so much of Kain in him. The shape of his eyes, the cut of his jaw, and the smile she missed so dearly. There was no denying Kain had been cut from the same cloth. Looking at him she felt a little closer to the man she loved and missed.
“Please have a seat.” Holter motioned to one of the chairs and she obliged. He then turned out a chair for himself so they were knee to knee.
He took her hands in his and gave a gentle squeeze. “I know I gave you the impression that I was against you being with my son. I was harsher on you than you deserved and for that I apologize.”
That had been unexpected. “It’s fine,” she murmured not entirely sure how to respond.
“No, I owe you an explanation. There were a few reasons, if I’m being honest with you. I didn’t want to see Kain hurt and knowing how Yeva and Silas turned out, I didn’t want the same for either of you. I saw it in both your eyes the night we first met. I recognized the connection immediately.” He chuckled. “I think even before either of you did.”
“Connection?” Kain had been her ally, her friend, the man who held her heart.
He let out a long, slow breath and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I judged you both based on my own experiences.”
She furrowed her brows. “I don’t understand.”
He continued as if he hadn’t heard her, “Aurelia and I share the same bond.”
There was that word again. It struck a cord deep within her.
“When I first met her, I didn’t recognize it until my heart was irrevocably hers.”
“So, I only love him because of the bond?” She was crushed. Weeks of trying to figure out her feelings and they weren’t real. Not in the way Kain deserved. Tears worked their way up her throat and into her eyes, burning. She blinked them back.
“No,” he said kindly, patting the back of her hand. “Don’t ever think that. Everything you felt for him was very real. It’s a connection but it has to be embraced. It makes it easier to follow your instincts. It can lead to love, but if there is only friendship in your heart, that’s all it will ever be.”
Nivian let her shoulders curl forward as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I love Aurelia, with all my heart and more but every time we are separated, that pain is almost unbearable.” He held her with his gaze. “Still, I wouldn’t change what we shared for the world.”
Holter took her hands in his and squeezed. “I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone, and if you ever need to talk, I’ll always be available. You were important to Kain, he loved you, and that makes you important to me, too.”
“I—” she said breathlessly. It took a long moment for his words to settle and take root in her mind. She had a bond with Kain.
In a million years she never would have guessed such a thing were possible. Yet... it made sense. Even with all her fighting against it, her denial and uncertainty, she had given him all the chances she could, because she wanted to. Even stood by him when she had no reason in all of Mophar to avoid reaping him, defied Silas — her creator to keep Kain safe. Her actions when it came to Kain were at odds with everything she knew.
The connection they shared only made doing those things easier.
Holter continued on as if she weren’t struck dumb by all the pieces falling into place. “You see, Silas and Yeva were created to be two halves. Light and dark, but together they should have been whole, creating perfect balance in the world, and thus all Reapers and Hunters had an echo of that same power.”
When he finished speaking, he stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You may stay here as long as you need. I know I dumped a lot on you, but you needed to understand.”
Then he was out the door, closing it with a soft click.
Nivian’s gaze dropped to her hands in her lap, seeing only Kain’s face.
She had been cold to Kain during his last few weeks, had refused what he so willingly gave himself to — denied that her feelings even existed by focusing on everything else. It had taken her too long to recognize it for what it was and allow herself to surrender to it. The second she had, their time together had been cut short.
Love... Romance... Neither was part
of a Reapers existence. Reaping was a solitary job. And though she had friends and cared for them, she’d never known more than that.
But a bond? The word itself sent a chill down her spine. She set her jaw and pinched her lips. If she and Kain were meant to be, then this could not be the end. Not if she refused to give up. And Gaia save anyone who would try.
SIX
NIVIAN
NIVIAN PACED THE apartment, running her fingers along the tops of several boxes that lined the empty walls. Boxes Kain never had the chance to unpack. She stopped in the middle of the kitchen and leaned on the counter, staring out the window. She had the unbearable urge to do something, but no idea of what that something was.
A thought nagged at the back of her mind, something Azira had said. Nivian frowned then shook her body, trying to rid herself of the restless energy that danced over her skin. It didn’t work.
Kain will never truly be gone as long as you hold on to that.
Even if she’d wanted to, she didn’t think she could let him go.
She eyed a box on the counter and slid it in front of her. Drumming her fingers on the top of the cardboard, she chewed her lip, debating for half a moment. Then ripped the tape off the top. She carefully lifted the top layer of papers and found a plate. She busied her hands, taking her time as she unwrapped several plates.
A chill raced along her skin. Her spine straightened. She turned around, eyes scanning the apartment, narrowing on a slip of paper carefully placed atop the bed. It hadn’t been there moments ago. Nivian crossed to the other room and snatched up the note. Written in familiar script were two words.
Why does Caspian want to meet tonight? Nivian glanced out the window. Sunset was still several hours away. She shoved the scrap of paper into her pocket and returned to the kitchen.
It didn’t take long to finish placing the plates in the cupboard. She could unpack everything but doing just that one box had made her feel closer to Kain. As if he might walk through the door at any minute. It also put her mind at ease, letting her focus on the task without much thought of anything outside these walls. Nivian decided it wasn’t something she wanted to rush.
Sunset was still a long time off, but she didn’t want to sit around and wait. Perhaps he just wanted to give her time to prepare for the meeting?
It didn’t really matter. If Caspian had a mark for her, she could get it now and throw herself back into her work, spend a little extra time observing. After all, it had been awhile since she’d last had a mark, and she felt rusty.
Walking to the door, she snatched up her cloak and swept it over her shoulders then vanished, appearing at the front gates of G.R.I.M. Headquarters as she had countless times before. Nivian rushed through the gates, the halls, and up the stairs, avoiding the Reapers who spotted her and had a glint in their eyes as if they wanted to talk to her. She needed something to do, but standing around and chatting about their latest assignments was the last thing she felt like doing.
In no time, she was at the large set of mahogany doors, and she entered with a soft knock.
Caspian looked up, and frowned. Not exactly the welcome she’d expected.
“You are early,” he said. “I apologize, I am not quite done with my work yet. Give me a few moments?” he asked.
“Of course,” Nivian said, only taking a seat when he motioned with his hand toward the leather chair.
She clasped and unclasped her hands over and over as she waited.
Parchment rustled as he flipped through the pages of the Tome of Fate. He settled on a page, running his finger down the lines of text, then picked up the quill and scratched a few words. When he finished with that mark, he did another and another. And another.
Occasionally, he would glance up at her with apologetic eyes and she would give him a faint smile and a shrug of her shoulders. The pile of marks grew and grew. After what felt like a long time, he finally closed the Tome and stretched his fingers.
“With everything that has happened lately, I have fallen behind,” he admitted, looking to the stack then back at her.
His midnight eyes held a weariness so unlike him and she realized, with a start, that she wasn’t the only one hurting and dealing with pressures so few could comprehend. She wanted to get up and go to him and wrap her arms around him and apologize for being a bad friend, for not seeing his pain before now.
“We must perform the transfer of powers ceremony. We cannot put it off any longer. I do not want to chance Silas’s powers fading. There’s no way to tell if the loss will be gradual or all at once.”
Her jaw dropped.
She’d expected a mark, not… this. It took her a moment to switch her mindset from expectation to reality.
“I have tried to give you as much time as I could, but I cannot risk delaying this any more.” Caspian stood then walked around his desk, and sat on the edge. He bent forward at the waist until his face hovered over hers, only a few inches away. “Are you willing to do this?”
The question wasn’t the choice it sounded like. It wasn’t a choice at all. Do this, or let the world burn.
Nivian got to her feet and nodded slowly. “I am.”
Tension eased from his shoulders at hearing her words. “Then follow me,” he said and strode out the door.
Caspian led her down the stairs and she followed several paces behind as they wound their way through the back halls and down, down, down into the darkest depths of G.R.I.M. where Silas’s—no—was it now Caspian’s throne room or…? She shook the thought away.
Caspian pushed open the double steel doors. A whoosh of dry, stale air brushed against her face, strong enough to rustle the hem of her cloak. She coughed on the slight scent of decay, as if the room itself were dying without its master.
Caspian was eerily silent. Though he was never too talkative, the silence between them felt thick and heavy. But she didn’t push him. Her nerves were too on edge as it was.
No one knew what the ceremony would bring; if it would work, or if it would destroy her.
Nivian’s stomach twisted into painful knots. It has to work.
The throne room was colder than she remembered, and the sparse collection of items within seemed to be covered in a thin layer of dust. Caspian led her past the throne and into the shadows of the back until he stopped before the wall.
It was odd. She could only guess he was confused. But as she opened her mouth to speak, words were lost to her when he pressed a hand against the stone and a section fell away.
“What…?”
Fire roared to life in a narrow trench that circled the outer edge of the floor like a tiny moat.
Caspian looked back at her. “Did you think he just sat around on his throne all the time?” he teased.
She tried to smile but it felt strained.
He reached back and took her hand, leading her into the room. The only thing inside the chamber was a stone altar, large enough to fit a tall man. Relief carvings of vines and skulls decorated the sides, but the top was smooth and polished. Atop the altar was the combined chalice, firelight glinting off its mixed gold and onyx surface.
They walked hand in hand up to the stone altar. She remained one step behind, part of her wanting to turn and run the second he let go. He squeezed her hand, drawing her eyes to his gaze.
He gave her a small smile then pulled her in for a hug. Her fingers gripped the sides of his cloak.
“I’m scared, Caspian,” she whispered.
“I know…” he held her a little tighter, then added after a long moment, “I am too.” Abruptly, he pulled away and slouched to look her in the eye, moving closer until their noses were only a hair’s breadth apart. Both of his hands, cool to the touch, held her face. “But if anyone can do this, it is you. You will be okay.”
She gripped his wrists, holding on as if he could keep her safe. But he couldn’t. No one could.
“How do you know? What if… what if…”
“There will be no what if. You are stronger
than anyone I’ve ever known.” He pressed a palm above her heart. “But you have to believe in yourself.”
She nodded and held her breath, trying to stop herself from trembling. Caspian dropped his hands and moved away. Picking up the chalice, he moved to the side of the altar. “Are you ready?”
Nivian pulled herself onto the slab and lay down. It was uncomfortably hard, and the cold from the stone seeped through her clothes and chilled her to the bone. She shivered.
Caspian stood at her head. He didn’t move or speak as she fidgeted, trying to find a comfortable position. When she finally stopped moving, he leaned over her. Dark pools of obsidian eddied with so many unspoken words, her breathing hitched.
“Nivian, I care for you. Not because of who you are or what you will become. But for you.” She smiled at that. They were simple words, filled with more comfort than she deserved from him, but it did little to ease the doubt roiling in her gut.
“Caspian?” She sat up on her elbows.
“I will always be your friend.” He looked at her for a long moment, then asked, “Do you trust me?”
She nodded. Of course she trusted him. He’d never intentionally done anything to harm her. He didn’t have that kind of cruelty in him.
Lifting her chin, Nivian forced herself to meet his gaze. She blinked and Caspian was at her side, holding out the chalice brimming with water.
She didn’t give herself a chance to think back on the first time when she drank from the Reaper’s chalice, or the pain that followed. Nivian took it from him and chugged the honey thick liquid in one, quick gulp, then handed it back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Lie down now,” he instructed gently. She obliged and when she settled, he placed a small stone upon her brow. “There might be some discomfort,” he added apologetically.
Nivian wanted to say something, but his hands already hovered over her head. He began speaking an incantation of a language so ancient Nivian couldn’t understand a single syllable, but each word held a power that caressed her flesh with the meaning and history of it.